I’m definitely up for an early morning trip downtown for buttons, etc. I did promise myself not to buy anything non-consumable in the month of February though… Hmmm. Maybe I should give up non-consumable purchases for lent. Wait! It’s already lent and I’m not Catholic anyway. Ugh! Well, I’ll just have to play it by ear. I’m definitely up for the trip though. Anyone else want to come? I think we should make it an early trip, like 9am, Saturday. Michael Levine is open at 9am, so that’s probably a good guideline. And I think most places are closed Sunday. Here’s a cool site I found that might help us to narrow down our search… http://www.fashiondistrict.org/

Sew, I guess I could give a quick update on my crafty progress… I finished that lacy sweater made from Green Mountain Spinnery yarns. Well, to be quite honest I’m just calling it finished. It’s all seamed, but I haven’t woven in the ends and I’m thinking that it might never happen. The thing turned out gigantic! My mom keeps asking for it thinking it might fit her, but I really don’t think so. It certainly wouldn’t be flattering on her either. BTW, Mom, if it’s just that you really want a sweater handmade by your daughter, I’d be happy to oblige with something nicer looking. And I think we’d both be more pleased at the end of it all, because actually, I don’t really even like the sweater that much anymore. It’s really boxy and frumpy looking. I suspect the problem was that I didn’t account for the extreme stretch factor when doing the gauge swatch. It’s a very lacy pattern and the shear weight of the yarn pulls it waaay open width-wise to such an effect as to make it too embarrassing to take pictures of. You can read about my woes in more detail on my Ravelry Project Page. I promise to show it off at the next Culver City SnB, but don’t think I’ll be posting any clown sweater pics! Here are a few finished shots where I was in denial and trying to “make” it look not so monstrous…

I think that since I’ve become a more confident and educated knitter in the last year, my tastes and notions of what I’m capable of have changed drastically. I still LOVE the yarn though. It’s so soft and natural looking. I love the slight halo I can see emerging from the fabric and can only imagine how much more soft and furry it would get over time. It just needs to be showcased in a more flattering design. This lace pattern is pretty though…

I think I used over ten skeins (at 220 yards!) so that a lot of good yarn to waste on an unloved sweater. I must say though, it was a terrific learning experience. I’m glad I followed it through to the end. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy seaming the pieces together and found that it wasn’t that bad. I’m really inspired to start another sweater soon. I have some yarn from a dark navy recycled J. Crew sweater I thought might work for that Drops sweater you just finished. (Not to be a copy-cat, I was really inspired by the progress you showed us at SnB last week 😉 I could also cast on for the Central Park Hoodie that I already have the yarn for. Or, I could just get my butt in gear and get that fleece spun and washed for the Adult Surprise Jacket. Well, that may have to wait until it warms up here. I hate to have wet fleece hanging around forever waiting to dry. Summer-like days are sure to come soon!

So, on to happier projects. I’m in the home stretch on my purl-less, toe-up, riverbed, monkey socks. I’ve got about 6-8 pattern repeats left for the leg, or until my yarn runs out. Ah, the joys of toe-up!!! Yay! I don’t have any new progress shots, but can promise finished pics before too long. I’m really dying to swatch for my Serendipity, but won’t let myself until these are off the needles, by golly!

I’ve also cast on the Clapotis that I’m making for my boss for her birthday. You might be asking, why did I cast on for a scarf that’s not due for finishing until July? Well, because I was dying to try out my new SWIFT!!!!! I broke down and got one off eBay for 40 bucks including shipping. Not a bargain, but it’s an antique from Sweden, supposedly. I had to try it outright away, so I used it the other day to put up my STR Club Yarn and Blue Heron Rayon Metallic into center-pull balls.

It really is a lot of fun. Made out of all wood parts, it’s nice and small when collapsed and just clamps onto the table. Pure and simple, it makes me happy. Inevitably, there will be better shots of the swift in action, but this is what I’ve got for now.

Another thing that makes me happy… Cupcakes! YUM!!! Many thanks to Craig and Betty Crocker for making this tasty birthday wish come true!

Yikes! I agree about not wanting to leave her out, but from what I’ve heard, those places (at least the small boutique type ones) downtown are only open on the early side of saturday. we could just do a group F&S run and use the power of the pack to subdue those ladies. there was also another button store that I spotted online in the area of the beverly center that looked interesting…. http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-button-store-los-angeles-2 Darn, I just checked their hours and they’re not open on weekends or later in the evening on weekdays. ugh! Call me and let me know what you want to do… I have to sign-off in a minute 😦